Method of forming foundations.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

H. ABBOTT. METHOD OF FORMING FOUNDATIONS.

PPLIO TIO ILED NOV. 25. 190 A A N F 7 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

m m w@ 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATEN'I'ED MAY 12, 1908.

H. ABBOTT. METHOD OF FORMING FOUNDATIONS.

lll 5 APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1907.

Fig. 6

3%? MSMUM Wcm strata is firmer than the strata above.

HUNLEY ABBOTT, OF NEW-YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF FORMING FOUNDATIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented May 1.2, 19 08.

' Application filed November 25, 1907. Serial No. 403,815.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUNLEY ABBOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, New York county, New York, have invented a new and useful Method of Forming Foundations, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanymg drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts.

My invention relates to improvements in the method of forming foundations in the ground and more especially foundations of plastic material such 'as cement or concrete or of ranularmaterial such as sand, gravel .orroc and has for its object the formation of enlarged footings or pedestals for piles, columns, telegraph poles, anchorages, and the like, whereby the column, pole, ile, anchorage or other structure, is enable to sustain a greater load in soft, yielding or treacherous soil.

In the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of ap aratus capable of executing the method. Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a shell and core forced into the ground. Fig.- 2 is a similar view with core removed. Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view with a portion of the foundation material in place and the rammer descending, the dotted line showing position of rammer and foundation material at the end of the stroke. Fig. 4 is avertical sectional view through the completed pedestal. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through pedestal showing the modified form taken when the underlyding 1 6 is a vertical sectional view of a modificatio n showing a reciprocating shell having a movable closure at its lower end. The shell in its downward stroke is shown by full lines, and in its upward stroke, by dotted lines. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a further modification, wherein the bottom of a closed shell has been cut off and slit to form reinforcing. The dotted lines show thev original condition of the bottom of the shell.

A ointed coreA surrounded by a shell B the size of the desired pile, column, pole, etc., is forced into the ground to the desired depth, (Fi 1). The juncture C between the lower end of the shell and the core is made in such a manner as to prevent ingress of the soil but drawn leavin a cavity D below the end of the shell B. f desired a sheet of reinforcement of mesh metal or rods E may be folded into a cup sha e and placed, (closed end down), within t 1e cavity D. A quantity of concrete or other foundation material approximately sufficient to fill said cavity D is placed therein. The rammer F is "then inserted in the shell B and forced down into this mass of material, thereby the material 1 is pushed out in all directions and the surroundin soil is forced back and compacted. This 0 eration of placing foundation material and ramming is re eated until the rotuberance, pedestal or ooting G is of t e desired size. It will be seen that the cupped sheet of reinforcing will s read out as the ramming proceeds and wil be at thelower side of the pedestal where it will take possible tensile stresses, tie the whole mass of foundation material together and aid it to assume a regular symmetrical form. This reinforcing will usually be embedded in the edestal to some extent due to, the material orcing out between the meshes. If it is desired to more deeply embed thereinforcement a quantity of material is placed and rammed in the cavity before the reinforcement is placed therein. The subsequent ramming proceeds as before stated. It will also be seen that any rock, boulder or gravel in the soil adjacent to the cavity will offer a greater resistance to the ramming and will tend to partially embed itself in the foundation material as the latter is forced out by the ramming, thereby becoming part of the pedestal andincreasing its effective size.

In a soil of a uniform density the pedestal formed will be roughly spherical as in Fi 4 and its effective bearing area may be readily estimated from the quantity of material rammed. In soft soils underlaid by firmer strata the core'A may be driven to firmer strata and a pedestal formed in the soft soil just over the firmer, The edestal will then flatten out on the lower si e Where it comes in contact with the firmer strata forming a roughly conical shape as in Fig. 5 It is not necessary for the execution of this method to use the exact form of shell and core shown. In lieu of a core the shell ma be ca ped with a detachable plu the she force into the ground and withdrawn a distance to form the cavity. In this case the plug will remain at the bottom of the cavity and become part of the edestal. Or the bottom of the shell coul be provided with a closure H which would prevent the ingress of soil during driving but which would open up on Withdrawing the shell a distance so that by placingloose foundation material within the shell and reciprocating the latter, the foundation material would pass through the closure into the cavity upon the upward stroke of the shell and be rammed by the shell on its downward stroke as the closure would then be shut. See Fig. 6. Thus dispensing with a separate core and rammer. Again, a shell B with-a closed lower end could be forced into the ground,

the said lower end of shell ruptured, out off and removed or cut off and slit to form reinforcing as at E in Fig. 7 and the pedestal formed as hereinbefore described.

After the pedestal is formed the space thereabovemay be filled with foundation material also reinforced or not, the shell being left in the ground or withdrawn according to the nature of the soil. Or any suitable connection may be made between the pedestal and the load to be sustained, such as a structural column, anchor rod, post, or pole.

'- A very economical distribution of materlal is effected, consisting of a slender column or anchorage just large enough to carry the load and a footing enlarged sufficiently to distribute this load over a great area-of soil.

This enlarged footing gives a bearing area equal to a solid pier'of a diameter corres onding to the maximum diameter of the en arged footingwith a consequent saving of foundag, tion material.

It will be seen that this method relates to the formation of underground foundations without the necessity of excavating obviating the attendant trouble, consumption of time, dan er and expense.

Forme as it is by driving and compressing the'soil this edestal offers great resistance to both vertica and lateral forces. It may be used as pile footing, column base, telegraph pole or fence post footing, or anchorage to reor columns built thereon may be brace sist other than vertically downward forces as in gu s for chimneys or chimney foundations, and t e like. I

Informin these foundations a number may be deve oped adjacent to each other so as to merge one into the other so that they unite into one unitary structure and the (piles together at the top forming a system of great rigidity, offering especially high resistance to lateral forces.

I claim 1. A method of forming a footing in the ground which consists of forming a cavity therein, void of any lining placing foundation material within said cavity then forcing said material outwardly against the walls of the cavity thereby forcing back and compressin the surrounding soil so that an enar ed ooting is formed, substantially as described.

2. A method of forming a footing in the end of the oavit described.

3. A method of forming a pedestal, footing 'or anchorage in the ground which consists in forcing down a shell in to the ground, forming a cavity below the lower end of the shell,

placing into this cavity foundation material and ramming, repeating the placing and ramming opefations thereby forming an enlarged mass of the foundation material which is the aforementioned pedestal, footing or anchorage, substantially as described.

' 4. Ainethod of forming a pedestal, footing I or anchorage 1n the ground which consists in forcing down a shell into the ground, placing foundation material below the lower end of shell, ramming the material, thereby forming an enlarged mass-of the foundation material, substantiall as described.

5. A met 0d of forming a pedestal, footing, or anchorage in the ground which con 1 sists in forcing down a shell into the ground,

placing foundation material below the lower 9 end of shell, ramming the material, repeating the placmg and ramming operation, thereby material, substantially as described.

6. .Amethod of forming a pedestal, footing forcing a form into the ground, so that an e forming an enlarged mass of the foundation or anchorage 1n the ground which consists m 1 l unlined cavity is formed placing foundation material within this cavity, ramming'this material, and repeating these placing and, ramming operations, thereby forcing back the surrounding soil, so that an enlarged, mass of foundation material is formed, substantiallyas described. I

7. A method of forming a pedestal, footing or anchorage in the ground which consists in forcing a form into the ground, so that an unlined cavity is formed placing foundation I material at the lower endof the cavity, ramming this material, and'repeating these placing and ramming operations, thereby forcing back the surrounding 5011, so that a mass of foundation material is formed at the lower the said form, su stantially as described.

of greater diameter than 8. A method-of forming a footing in the ground which consists of formmg a cavity therein, placing reinforcing metal in the cavity, placlng'foundation material within said- -cavity, then forcing said reinforcing and foundation materials outwardly against the walls of the cavity, thereby forcing back and compressing the surrounding soil so that an enlarged reinforced footing is formed, substantially as described.

9. A method of forming a footing in the ground which consists of forming a cavity 10. A method of forming a pedestal, footing or anchorage in the ground which consists i'n forcing down a shell into the ground forming acavlty at the lower end of the shell, placing intothiscavityreinforcing metal and oundation material and ramming, repeating the placing and ramming operations thereby forming an enlarged reinforced mass of the foundation material which is the aforementioned edestal, footing, or anchorage, sub- 7 stantia y as described.

11.. A method of forming a pedestal, footing or anchorage in the ground which consists in forcing down a shell into the ground,

placing reinforcing metal and foundation material at the lower end of shell, ramming the material, thereby forming an enlarged reinforced mass of the materials, substantially as described.

12. A method of forming a pedestal, footing or anchorage in the ground which consists in forcing down a shell into the ground, placing reinforcing metal and foundation material at the lower end of shell, ramming the material, repeating the placing and ramming operations, thereby forming an enlarged reinforced mass of the materials, substantially as described. v

13. A method of forming a pedestal, footing or anchorage in the ground which consists in forcing a form into the ground, placing reinforcing metal and foundation material at the lower end of the cavity so formed, ramming these materials, and repeating these placing and ramming o erations, thereby forcing back the surrounc ing soil, so that an enlarged reinforced mass of foundation materials is formed, substantially as "described.

14. A method offorming a pedestal, footing, or anchorage in the ground which con sists in forcing a form into the ground, placing reinforcing metal and foundation material at the lower end of the cavity so formed,

ramming these materials, and repeating .these placing and ramming o erations, thereby forcing back the surroun 'ng soil, so that a reinforced mass of foundation materials is formed at the lower end of the cavity of greater diameter than the said form, substantially as described.

15. A method of forming afooting in the ground which consists in forcing into the ground a shell having at its lower end a driving point, removing said point, placing foundation material in the cavity so formed, below the lower end of'the shell forcing said material outwardly against the walls of the cavity, thereby compressing and forcing back the surrounding soil so that an enlarged footing is formed, substantially as described.

16. A method of forming a footing in the ground which consists in' forcing intothe ground a shell having at its lower end a driving point, removing said point, placing reinforcing metal and foundation material in the cavity so'formed, forcing said materials outwardly against the walls of the cavity, thereby compressing and forcing back the surrounding soil so that an enlarged reinforced footing is formed, substantially as described. 17. A method of forming a footing in the ground which consists in forcing into the round a shell having at its lower end. a' driving point, removing said point, placing foundation material in the cavityv so formed, be-

low the lower end of the shell forcing said material outwardly against the walls of. the cavity, thereby compressing and forcin back the surrounding soil so that an enlarge footing-is formed, then filling the hole formed by the shell with foundation material, substanoutwardly against the walls of the cavity, thereby compressing and forcing back the surrounding soil so that an enlarged reinforced footing is formed, then filling the hole formed by the shell with foundation materials, substantially as described:

' HUNLEY ABBOTT. Witnesses:

E. C. HEALD,

RICHARD L. WATMAUGH. 

